Built in 1994, Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, in Cuyahoga County, is the home of the Cleveland Indians American League franchise of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously known as Jacobs Field, the stadium provided a new baseball-only home for the Indians, who used to share Cleveland Municipal Stadium with the National Football League Cleveland Browns.
The stadium was financed by the voters of Cuyahoga County by means of 15-year "sin tax'' on alcohol and cigarette sales, approved in May 1990. A ceremonial "first pitch'' was thrown in 1992 before construction began but the real first pitch at the new Jacobs Field occurred on April 4, 1994.
Jacobs Field, named for team owners David and Richard Jacobs, is still affectionately known as "The Jake'' by many locals even though the name was changed to Progressive Field on opening day of the 2008 season. Progressive Insurance Company, headquartered in nearby Mayfield Village, purchased the naming rights of the stadium until 2024 at a cost of $57.6 million.
Progressive Field is touted as a classic urban stadium, built within the physical boundaries of three streets in the middle of downtown Cleveland. The original seating capacity of the stadium was about 42,000 but with the addition of two new sections at the end of the bleacher sections in 1997, capacity topped out at 43,345. Wider aisles were designed for more leg room and some seating sections are angled so as to give fans an optimal view of the game.
Premium club seating is available for those who wish to purchase upgraded seating and enjoy Progressive Field's posh air-conditioned Club Lounge, which offers a dining and bar area and flat screen televisions for viewing the game. Suites are also available for business clients. Fans may also purchase membership in the stadium's Terrace Club, which includes a number of benefits including guest passes, priority reservation opportunities, access to the Terrace Club Bar, and free room rental for non-game day catering events held in the Terrace Club.
When Progressive Field's scoreboard was installed during construction, it was the largest in the country. Upgrades in electronics prompted the replacement of the scoreboard in 2004 with a new state-of-the-art Daktronics board with a video display that measures 149 feet long and 36 feet high. This is the largest video display in the world at a sports venue.
In 2007, the Cleveland Indians franchise decided to add a section to the stadium that would be known as Heritage Park. This section would be home to the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and include names and photos of the 100 greatest Cleveland Indians players, synopses of memorial Indian moments, and a memorial plaque to Ray Chapman, an early Indian who spent his whole career with the Indians, dying in 1920 when he was struck with an errant pitch thrown by Yankee Carl Mays. Heritage Park is located behind the center field wall.
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